Category Archives: Distractions

Although they have been on sale in most of the major supermarkets since Boxing Day, cross buns were traditionally eaten on Good Friday. In the eighteenth-century, cross buns were sold hot, door-to-door (fig. 1). Fig. 1. Thomas Rowlandson, Cries of … Continue reading →

I began this blog on the 14th of September 2009 primarily to keep my far-flung family apprised of my activities. The power of Google slowly started directing strangers to my blog from all corners of the globe and then one … Continue reading →

Seventeenth-century Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog landed on the west coast of Australia on the 25th of October 1616 (only the second European to do so). Having tarried merely three days on the continent, he set sail again, writing in his … Continue reading →

The setbacks and frustrations have been several this year; a few have been unavoidable due to health issues, but others could and should have been avoided. Of these, the year’s greatest disappointment has been the loss of the entire text … Continue reading →

“Yes, I’ll take one of your chairs, thanks.” Anyone who has restored antique furniture will likely have worn out one or two pairs of shoes walking round a chair, table or chest, dabbing a spot of polish here and another … Continue reading →

With spring almost upon us, I pulled the old green jinker out of storage bright and early this morning and began dusting her off in readiness for the first outing of the season. The original paintwork is looking rather tired, … Continue reading →